Call for papers: Festschrift

Stigma and Health invites submissions for a special Festschrift issue honoring the life and scholarly legacy of Patrick W. Corrigan, who passed away in January 2026. Over several decades, Patrick Corrigan shaped the modern field of stigma research through his groundbreaking theoretical, empirical, and translational work on mental illness stigma. His scholarship transformed how stigma is conceptualized, measured, and challenged—bridging social psychology, public health, clinical science, and lived experience. Equally important was his enduring commitment to recovery-oriented approaches, participatory research, and the ethical responsibility of stigma science to reduce harm and promote dignity.

This Festschrift issue seeks to honor Patrick Corrigan’s enduring impact by showcasing innovative, rigorous, and reflective scholarship that builds on, extends, or is inspired by his body of work. We welcome contributions from scholars across disciplines and career stages, including collaborators, mentees, and those whose work has been shaped by Pat’s ideas and leadership. Work focused on psychiatric stigma are welcome, as well as submissions focused on stigma surrounding other health conditions.

Submissions may address (but are not limited to) the following themes:

• Conceptual and theoretical advances in stigma science inspired by Corrigan’s work
• Empirical studies on stigma, including but not limited to public stigma, self-stigma, and structural stigma
• Measurement and methodological innovations in stigma research
• Interventions to reduce stigma, including contact-based and recovery-oriented approaches
• Lived experience–informed, participatory, or co-produced stigma research, including research on peer support and its role in reducing stigma
• Cross-cultural, global, or intersectional perspectives on stigma, as well as the role of social determinants of health in stigma
• Critical reflections on the evolution, limitations, and future directions of the stigma field
• Integrative or synthetic reviews mapping the trajectory of stigma research influenced by Corrigan’s scholarship

The special issue will consider the full range of article types accepted by Stigma and Health, including:

• Original empirical research articles
• Systematic or scoping reviews
• Theoretical or conceptual papers
• Methodological contributions
• Brief reports
• Perspectives, commentaries, and lived experience narratives (please reach out to Amy Watsonopens in new window before discuss potential submissions in advance)

All submissions must meet the journal’s standards for rigor, transparency, and ethical research conduct.

Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the standard author guidelines for Stigma and Health. During the submission process, authors should select the special issue option and indicate that their manuscript is intended for the Festschrift “Patrick Corrigan’s Enduring Impact on the Field of Stigma.” Submissions should include a cover letter explaining how their submission is inspired by the work of Patrick Corrigan.

All submissions will undergo peer review consistent with the journal’s policies.

The dates listed below are tentative:

• Submissions due: February 28, 2027
• Expected publication: Articles for this special issue will be posted Online First Publication (OFP) on a rolling basis. The full issue is expected to be published in February 2028.

• Nicolas Rüsch, professor of public mental health, Ulm University
• Consultant Psychiatrist Amy Watson, professor of social work, Wayne State University
• Lindsay Sheehan, assistant professor of psychology and associate director of the Center on Health Equity, Education and Research (CHEER), Illinois Institute of Technology
• Kristin Kosyluk, associate professor of behavioral health science and practice and director of the STigma Action Research (STAR) Lab, University of South Florida

Questions about the scope or suitability of perspectives, commentaries, and lived experience narratives should be directed to Amy Watsonopens in new window, inquiries about all other manuscript types may be directed to Kristin Kosylukopens in new window with the subject heading, “Corrigan Festschrift.”

We hope this special issue will both honor Patrick Corrigan’s remarkable contributions and inspire the next generation of stigma scholarship committed to reducing stigma and advancing health, equity, and recovery.